GUN SPRING 2016
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/14/2016
RARE WINCHESTER MODEL 1873 TRAPPER LEVER ACTION SADDLE RING CARBINE. WINCHESTER 1873 96791 44 WCF (44-40) Cal. 44 WCF (44-40). Full nickel finish with rare 15" bbl, half-magazine, barleycorn front sight & reverse mounted, 1873 marked ladder rear sight. Receiver is 3rd Type with stepped receiver ring and integral dust cover rail with 3rd Type dust cover. Left side of receiver has a staple & ring. Mounted with uncheckered, straight grain American walnut with straight stock and carbine buttplate that has trap. Accompanied by a Cody Firearms'' Museum letter which identifies this carbine with 15" bbl, 1/2 magazine, received in warehouse Aug 26, 1882 and shipped the same day with 99 other Model 1873''s to order number 34775. While 1873 carbines are somewhat prolific, 15" examples are quite rare and of those extremely few had nickel finish. The majority of trapper carbines were sold into Central & South America and those few that have been repatriated to the U.S. are most often found in extremely worn condition with little or no orig finish. The fact that this was a shipment of 100 Winchesters supports the supposition that it was a shipment to South or Central America. PROVENANCE: The Estate of G. W. "Bill" Stewart of Sonora, Texas. CONDITION: Very good to fine. Bbl retains about 90% strong orig nickel with some fine pimpling & flaking on the left side toward the muzzle. Magazine & bbl band retain strong orig nickel, with bbl band having been cleaned on right side. Receiver retains about 65-70% orig nickel with fine pimpling & losses on both sides, more so on the right side. Buttplate retains about 50-60% orig nickel. Stock has a hairline back of top tang and a chip at the heel with other nicks, dings & scratches and overall shows a hand worn patina. Mechanics are fine. Bright shiny bore with scattered fine pitting. 49973-16 JR91 (7,500-9,500)